Nesting Boxes????

[Blosing101]

My nesting boxes are about 12x12 with a 1" lip. I had a egg today that looked like it fell out of the box and broke. Do I need to make the lip bigger? Any suggestions?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, make the lip higher. When a hen goes on the nest to lay an egg she will often scratch around to rearrange the bedding to suit her. It’s pretty normal for them to scratch out bedding, fake eggs, or eggs that have already been laid if the lip is low. Some people get by with little to no lip but I like a 4” to 5” lip on my nests. It makes my life a lot easier.

 

[CountryBoy16]

I like to use milk crates as nest boxes filled almost completely with hay as the hens will compress they hay down to their liking and sometimes they will go all the way to the bottom if you don't have enough hay.

 

[Blosing101]

Yes, make the lip higher. When a hen goes on the nest to lay an egg she will often scratch around to rearrange the bedding to suit her. It’s pretty normal for them to scratch out bedding, fake eggs, or eggs that have already been laid if the lip is low. Some people get by with little to no lip but I like a 4” to 5” lip on my nests. It makes my life a lot easier.

Will it mess with my chickens if I change their nesting boxes?

 

[Hokum Coco]

My nesting boxes are about 12x12 with a 1" lip. I had a egg today that looked like it fell out of the box and broke. Do I need to make the lip bigger? Any suggestions?

My nest boxes are the same size. I have a 3½" board across the front.

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag.
Frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.

I have 65 trips around the sun it is the best method I have stumbled upon.

Make sure the twine is removed from the open end of the bag it can get tangled around your birds.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Will it mess with my chickens if I change their nesting boxes?

Not really. Just adding a lip on the front shouldn't upset them much. They should still use them.

 

[treefrogging]

Do you need to make the nesting boxes out of something that can be cleaned? Thinking about using those fabric crates (a shallow-lipped one) used for home storage.. but not sure how well they clean out...

 

[Dmontgomery]

Do you need to make the nesting boxes out of something that can be cleaned? Thinking about using those fabric crates (a shallow-lipped one) used for home storage.. but not sure how well they clean out...

You don't have to make them cleanable. They will get nasty eventually and you will either want to be able to clean them or replace them. Some people use pizza boxes. You just toss them out when they get dirty and then order another pizza!

 

[treefrogging]

Thanks Dmontgomery! I could get with the pizza idea...